The 2022-2023 NAP was developed by the Inter-Agency Commission on Gender Equality, Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (hereinafter the Commission), with UN Women technical support within the framework of the project “Accelerating Implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Georgia”, which was funded by the U.K. Government’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) (p.6). The process of drafting the NAP was coordinated by the Human Rights Secretariat of the Government of Georgia, with representatives of local and international non-governmental organizations, relevant experts, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders taking part in working meetings and consultations (p.6). The NAP interprets the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda primarily in a domestic sense, with a heavy focus on conflict-affected areas, internally displaced persons, and occupied territories within Georgia. That said, the NAP includes plans on mainstreaming the WPS agenda in international diplomatic activities as well.
The NAP has three impact areas: women’s participation; elimination and prevention of violence; and women’s empowerment and protection. These thematic priority areas identify corresponding actions and indicators, including baseline and target indicators, and the organization or government department responsible for verifying and collecting data. The monitoring and evaluation framework for the NAP is broad and includes the Commission providing periodic reports, the Human Rights Secretariat engaging with stakeholders and providing recommendations for amendments if need be, and six-monthly progress reports throughout the timeframe of the NAP (p. 18-19). The NAP has an allocated budget of GEL 27,680,907 (roughly USD $10,426,877) (p.18.). The NAP also lays out the budget for some specific activities, including amount and source of funding.
Georgia’s fourth NAP is preceded by three other NAPs, implemented for the period of 2012-2015, 2016-2017, and 2018-2020, respectively. Georgia’s first NAP forms part of broader national efforts to mainstream gender and was developed following the adoption of the Law on Gender Equality in 2010, and the establishment of the Council for Gender Equality. Working at the national level to the grassroots level and in cooperation with international donors and UN agencies, the NAP says that women’s organizations have been instrumental in the development and implementation of the NAP in Georgia. The country’s four NAPs are similar in structure and level of detail. Each NAP is primarily an implementation matrix that includes goals, outputs, indicators, responsible party, and timeline. The second and third NAPs also include a preface that provides a brief overview of the implementation of previous NAPs as well as participatory drafting processes of NAPs. The fourth NAP expands on former iterations and includes a ‘situation analysis’ that outlines and identifies existing challenges relating to the protection of women’s social and economic rights and their meaningful participation in peace and security processes (p.7).
Georgia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, the country has experienced multiple periods of conflict, including the Abkhazia War (1992-1993) and the Russo-Georgian War (2008). Despite the fact that women have been mostly excluded from peace processes involving these conflicts, women-led groups and CSOs have continued to work with women impacted directly by the violence, including internally displaced women and girls. They have also consistently advocated for their inclusion in peacebuilding initiatives.